The open-source Terraform alternative just got a massive upgrade. OpenTofu 1.10 is here, and it’s the most feature-packed release to date — aimed at cloud-native engineers, CI/CD warriors, and teams embracing secure, modern IaC workflows.
Let’s unpack the biggest features with real-world impact 👇
🧩 1. Native OCI Registry Support — Modules Like Docker Images!
OpenTofu now supports Open Container Initiative (OCI) registries for distributing providers and modules.
✅ Push your infra modules to GitHub Container Registry or Docker Hub
✅ Works great in air-gapped or high-security environments
✅ Enables versioned, container-style dependency management
Finally, IaC modules are treated like software artifacts!
☁️ 2. Native S3 State Locking — No More DynamoDB Overhead
Using Amazon S3 for state storage? Great.
Now you can lock the state file natively — no need to set up DynamoDB tables.
✅ Simplifies setup
✅ Reduces AWS infra cost
✅ Easier for teams and pipelines
One less moving part in your Terraform-inspired architecture.
🔐 3. External Key Provider Support
You can now encrypt state using your preferred key management solution:
- AWS KMS
- HashiCorp Vault
- Custom providers
Ideal for regulated industries and teams focused on compliance and security.
🤖 4. AI-Ready: MCP Server + Editor Extensions
OpenTofu now ships:
- An MCP server for AI tools (like GitHub Copilot or ChatGPT)
- A VS Code extension (preview)
- A tofu-ls Language Server for Neovim, Emacs, Sublime
Result?
✅ Smart code suggestions
✅ Autocompletion
✅ Instant validation
✅ AI assistants with access to accurate resource docs
Infra-as-Code meets AI coding assistance.
⚙️ 5. DevX Improvements: Plan Targeting, Deprecated Variables, Safe Refactoring
OpenTofu 1.10 adds tons of quality-of-life improvements:
- -target-file and -exclude-file flags → for CI/CD targeting
- moved and removed blocks → safer refactoring
- deprecated variables/outputs → manage module evolution
- Global provider cache lock → fixes concurrency issues in pipelines
🔍 6. OpenTelemetry Support (Local Mode)
Need deep insights into your plan/apply operations?
✅ OpenTelemetry tracing now works locally
✅ Observe and debug with zero external setup
✅ Great for CI/CD and local testing
🆚 Terraform vs OpenTofu: What's Different Now?
| Feature | Terraform Cloud/Enterprise | OpenTofu 1.10 |
|---|---|---|
| OCI Registry for Modules | ❌ | ✅ Yes |
| Native S3 State Lock (no Dynamo) | ❌ | ✅ Yes |
| External Key Provider Support | ⚠️ Partial | ✅ Full support |
| MCP Server for AI Assistants | ❌ | ✅ Yes |
| OpenTelemetry in Local Mode | ❌ | ✅ Yes |
| RBAC, Audit Logs, Drift Detection | ✅ Yes | ❌ Not Yet |
Terraform is still the go-to for large enterprise governance.
OpenTofu is winning developer love with speed, openness, and simplicity.
🎯 Final Thoughts
OpenTofu 1.10 is not just a community fork anymore — it's carving its own path.
Whether you're building infra in side projects or scaling internal platforms for your org, this release is a huge win for developer experience, security, and modern cloud workflows.
Top comments (1)
Wowww 😮😍